Suspect arrested after multiple luring attempts

A man suspected of trying to lure young girls into his car nearly escaped from police Thursday morning. The suspect was stopped by police, let go, and then was later arrested when police say he tried to strike again.

Jose Galvan, 32, reportedly tried to pick up three different girls in two locations Thursday morning after 7:30.

The first incident was near the intersection of Monroe and Dalton; the second on the 3400 block of North Crestline. He was stopped by police after he tried to get two young girls into his car at 7:30.

Officers stopped him but the description didn't quite match and they couldn't get a hold of the victims, so they let him go.

An hour later, a 14-year-old girl called from 3400 North Crestline and said a man in a black Volkswagen Jetta tried three times to get her into his car. She ran away and called 9-1-1.

The car was the same description as the attempted first luring, but descriptions of the man were slightly different.

"We see those reports come up across the nation that kids get abducted and lured into cars. Any time we can prevent that from happening and get someone into jail, that's a good day for us," Spokane Police Officer Teresa Fuller said.

The investigation then took an even more disturbing turn. Police said Galvan could have changed his appearance in the hour between the two luring attempts.

"He was not going to stop until he got some child in that car," Shauna Hurn said. She has a 13-year-old daughter that normally walks to school along the same path as the girls Thursday morning.

"I'm nervous and thank God I took my daughter to school this morning, because now I'm kind of nervous letting her walk to Shaw. I don't even know if I'll let her do that," she added.

Fuller said the victims calling 9-1-1 -- and their courage to identify the man -- helped protect the community and keep others safe from harm.

"He was already contacted by police and then was blatant enough to try again, after he was contacted by police the first time. That's the kind of person we've got in control and into jail if that's necessary," Fuller said.

Bemiss Elementary School, located near where the luring incident happened, called home to parents to let them know what happened.

Police are asking that if there other girls Galvan tried to coerce into his car to call Crime Check at 456-2233.